At the beginning of May 2010, Our Sansar voluntary teachers began their year-long placement teaching in several schools in Nepal. At the same time, 40,000 Maoist supporters prepared for their May Day protest in an on-going dispute against the current Government. This led to further disruption and strikes all over the country, effecting transport systems and closing thousands of private schools.
The peaceful protest and nationwide strike was based on the national consensus to have the Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (UCPN – M) in power. They have the most seats in the constituent assembly since 2008, when the Maoists, led by UCPN-M chief Prachanda won the parliamentary elections. He later resigned in 2009, over a dispute with President Ram Baran Yadav to disarm the Maoist militias and incorporate them into government’s armed forces. Prachanda called for an unlimited strike to begin on the 2nd of May, intended to overthrow the government and establish a Marxist republic. Students play a large role in this movement.
‘Nepal’s population is very young and the students are saying that education is a right. Students are also fighting against recent fee increases in the schools and universities and for increased transparency in fees and curriculum development’ (Counterfire: Nepal Interview with Maoist Student Leader).
There are over 8,500 private schools in Nepal, where at least 1.5 million students are enrolled. In 2005, strikes were called against schools and colleges, suspending classes. This year, the All Nepal National Independent Students Union – Revolutionary ((ANNISU - R) Maoist’s student-wing) protested against the increase in fees at primary and secondary colleges. Having warned authorities before-hand, they locked over 8,000 private schools: ‘we locked up schools that penalised students with arbitrary fee hikes [in some cases an increase of 30%]. There is no reason for the increase. Such a decision deprives most students of an education since they cannot afford higher costs’ (Asia News: Maoists threaten an all-out protest as private schools are closed).
Affecting over 100, 000 students, the Ministry of Education formed a panel to review the fees and the strike was called off.
The ANNISU - R maintain many committees in university campuses nationwide. They are particularly active in public institutions, where lower caste people from rural areas are educated. Literacy rates have increased but 34.2% of children aged 6 – 10 years are still not in schools and the standard of education is quite low in public institutions; there is a lack of materials, books and health and safety measures are not always in place. The Maoists are participating in an anti-imperial struggle, attempting to oppose the status quo and empower the public schools: ‘At a national level, we have been addressing how we should move towards ending the privatisation of education and empowering the public institutions. This is all linked up with the social economic reality of Nepal, and pulling Nepal away from feudalism. Uprooting the old system’ (Links, International Journal of Socialist Renewal, Nepal: Maoist student leader - 'It is still a fight to establish a democratic republic, for establishing a socialist system').
However, the conflict between the Maoists and the security forces has led to the death of an estimated 305 children between 13 May 1996 and 28 February 2005. According to the Asian Centre for Human Rights, Nepal (2005) the conflict has had a serious impact on the rights of the child, leading to an increase in the risks of rape, sexual humiliation, prostitution and trafficking. An investigation conducted by the National Human Rights Commission of Nepal has uncovered the alleged rape of 15-year-old girl by six security personnel identified as being members of the Royal Nepalese Army. Hundreds of children have also been recruited as child soldiers (although many have been released this year) and many have allegedly been abducted from the areas of Raniban, Dhakari, Toli, Binayak and Koika Village Development Committees. In the summer of 2004, children were educated for a week in Maoist ideology in the outskirts of Kathmandu and some 1,000 youths were mobilized for 'organisation expansion' in November 2003 from schools in the Achham district.
The Save the Children report ‘The Future is Now’ estimates that 90% of casualties in conflicts are civilians and around half of those are children: ‘the number of active conflicts in the world is on the rise, up from 32 in 2006 to 39 in 2008 and one in every three children in a conflict-affected area does not go to school’.
There are in fact many schools in Nepal now assisted by missionaries and foreign non-governmental organisations as well as donor nations who work towards education reform. ANNISU - R president Lekhnath Nyaupane told AsiaNews that the ‘schools run by missionaries or foreign charities’ are viewed positively ‘because they are not moved by the profit motive and can help educate young Nepalis. We can sit and talk with them.’ After all, he said ‘education should be accessible to all.’
